Bellport Village is a seaside community on Long Island, often dubbed the “un-Hampton.” It is, by design and custom, a “walking village.” Spanning 1.4 square miles and located just over 65 miles from New York City (without the two-lane weekend car crawl), Bellport is perfect for strolls from the Village Green to the marina. For residents and guests, there’s also a boat ride on the Whalehouse Point Ferry’s 15-minute cruise to Ho-Hum Beach on Fire Island.
Bellport’s charm includes renowned summer theater, waterfront concerts, bike rentals, and classes for adults and children, historic homes, and its many artists and writers.
The Bellport Village Marina is the focal point. Along with the summer breezes and a sandy playground, it features a bandshell that hosts concerts all summer long, open to the public for anyone with a blanket or beach chairs to hear a variety of local bands as the stars come out over the Great South Bay.
“People in Bellport are welcoming and interesting,” said Bellport’s Mayor Maureen Veitch. “So I think first and foremost, it’s the people. And then I would say that, where can you find so many wonderful amenities in one little tight box of a village… you have a park for children, you have a beach at Mother’s Beach, you have a golf course, you have tennis, and I literally go everywhere on my bike all summer long.”
Places to Go
- Gateway Theatre tops the list of activities. Formed 75 years ago, the theatre later combined the Gateway Playhouse and the Acting School to form the non-profit called “The Gateway Performing Arts Center of Suffolk county, in what Paul Allen, the Executive Artistic Director said has “great scenery, costumes, props…and committed actors who don’t break character.”
- Children’s Theatre has The Lion King, Big Bubble Bonanza, and The SpongeBob Musical. And best of all, acting and music theatre classes are now enrolling for the Summer Session for adults and children.
- Isabella Rossellini’s regenerative farm in the Brookhaven hamlet, called Mama Farm, is an eight-minute bike ride from Bellport. It promotes heritage breeds and heirloom seeds for conservation and biodiversity, offering activities, a B&B, and ticketed events open to the public. If you want to enjoy the sun and surroundings, Mama Farm also offers Yoga and Meditation on Summer Saturdays through to August 30.
Events
- Beach Ball 2025 is a yearly fundraiser for The Boys & Girls Club of Bellport at the waterfront home of Vivek and Katie Shah on Bayberry Road. It is one of the feel-good events of Bellport, which takes place on June 2.
- Summer Concert Series under the stars at the Bandshell of the Marina begins on June 27 and goes straight through to August 29 with local bands and a refurbished playground on the adjacent sand beach.
- The Bellport Fire Department Car Show is always a remarkable day for classic car enthusiasts, taking place on June 29 with a rain date of July 6.
- On July 4, Artists on the Lane, sponsored by the South Bay Art Association, is another favorite, as is strolling through the village on Station and South Country Roads all summer long.
Shopping & Dining
La Plage is a new French restaurant, coming soon to Bellport, setting up on Station Road in the former Bellport Brewing Company location. Wayne Wadington was on location with painters and construction workers in early May when Great South Bay News passed by to see the new digs, with the added benefit of having parking in the back. Wadington, who has a sister restaurant of the same name in Wading River, and now, with a personal reason to be in Bellport much of the time, said he was thrilled to be reaching the launch date and will be offering the Friday night prix fixe, as he has done in Wading River.
The Bellport Restaurant is a classic, boasting 30 years of experience and receiving top reviews from The New York Times and Zagat’s, with live music on select nights.
Porters on the Lane, right in the middle of town on Bellport Lane, has indoor dining and seating on the porch, describes itself as cozy and quaint, and has something for everyone from burgers and salmon to their big Belgium waffle.
But if you would rather take out and eat in one of the parks or on the beach, the delicately made paninis, home-cooked chicken salad, or fish fillets, head to historic Copper Beech, a small-town food and furnishings store built in a renovated movie theatre with high ceilings and delicacies to die for.
It’s Only Natural on South Country Road offers a 100% organic menu featuring smoothies and salad bowls.
And to cap off your day, Carla Marla’s Ice Cream Parlor & Candy Shop is the must-visit classic in town.
So enjoy all the good our humble village has to offer, and see you soon!
